A court hears how a collapsed stockbroker was using the advice of a psychic

The extent to which BBY, the collapsed stockbroker, was run using
the advice of a psychic is being slowing revealed as the
liquidators continue their forensic investigation.

Nervine Rottinger, who calls herself a professional intuitive and
energy healer, knows a bit about chakras, the centres of
spiritual power in the human body.

She once helped Glenn Rosewall, the former executive chairman of
failed stockbroker BBY, deal with his chakras before moving on to
use astrological charts and intuition to forecast share prices,
estimate budget and deal with staff issues.

Her activities at BBY are being revealed during a liquidators’
examination in the NSW Supreme Court on the collapse of BBY in
May 2015.

KPMG says the liquidation of the company is one of the most
complex since landmark insolvencies such as Lehman Brothers
during the GFC.

The investigation into the mismanagement and failure of BBY has
involved analysis of more 10 terabytes of company electronic
data, 155,000 transactions across over 100 bank accounts, 15.8
million internal emails, 2,500 boxes of records and 30,000
subpoenaed documents.

About 6,000 former BBY clients have potential claims totalling
$61 million. KPMG expects a shortfall of more than $23 million.

The court examination has turned its attention to the psychic and
her role in advising Rosewall, the biggest BBY shareholder with
his father tennis great Ken.

In court, Rottinger agreed she had no financial training. She
first met Rosewall at 9am on June 9, 2009.

Among her actions at BBY, she told the court she:

Prepared an astrological chart on Firestone, a South African
coal explorer BBY had invested in.

She looked for “patterns when certain planets are aligned so
that they generate wealth”.

Predicted that 2014 would be tight for BBY.

Bounced ideas around with Rosewall.

Discussed share prices and the business.

“A lot of people in the old days would call it magic,” she told the court. “These days we call it
‘mind over matter’.”

She said there was a significant relationship between astrology
and financial market movements.

Rottinger was introduced to Glenn Rosewall by former BBY CEO Arun
Maharaj who had attended one of her meditation sessions.

Maharaj has revealed that the clairvoyant was given access to
BBY’s accounts and had her own column to provide revenue
estimates.

He told the court: “She would alter them and
then send them back to Glenn who would sign them off.”

Rottinger said her work was intuitive.

“I just get an image in my mind that tells me what a price may
be,” she said.